Woman Fights Back When Three Men Attack Her in Central Park: “I Grabbed the Cup and Hit the First Guy”

A Bronx woman is speaking out about a frightening attack in Central Park last weekend while she was riding home from work.

The victim told CBS News New York the attack happened in seconds. The NYPD is now searching for three suspects.

What began as a routine bike ride home on Sunday night turned into a terrifying fight for survival for Katherine Marroquin. The attack, which took place near West 93rd Street and West Drive just before 10 p.m., left the 32-year-old bruised, shaken, and in pain.

She said she was riding through the park when her AirPods fell to the ground. She stopped to pick them up, and that’s when she felt the punch.

“‘Give me everything,’ and then he punched me and he punched me again and I punched him back,” Marroquin said.

She says that before she could process what was happening, two other men grabbed her, and she was outnumbered.

“They grabbed my book bag, they opened it, and they took everything out,” Marroquin said. “They took my Stanley cup and they threw it right in front of me. The first reaction was they’re going to kill me, so I grabbed the cup and hit the first guy. So they felt I was defending myself and they run.”

She said the complete disregard for human life is what she finds hardest to understand.

“Imagine if they would have done something to me, kill me, for what? Less than $500? Are you kidding me?” Marroquin said.

The NYPD has released video of the men suspected in the attack, and Marroquin said she would recognize them immediately.

She shared her story in the hope of preventing someone else from becoming a victim.

“I was strong enough to defend myself, but what if it would have been another person? It wouldn’t be the same situation,” she said.

Marroquin said she is determined not to let the attack keep her from living her life.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website or by DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.